Preliminary Studies on In Vitro Propagation of Camu-Camu (<i>Myrciaria dubia</i>), an Important Medicinal Plant
Abstract
Camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia) belongs to the Myrtaceae family and is a small tree, found on the margins of rivers and lakes, which is native to the Amazon region. This species has great nutritional value, mainly due to the high levels of potassium and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), with values ranging from 1000–6000 mg/100 g in its pulp. In spite of its economic importance, little is known about the aspects of propagation of camu-camu, particularly in vitro multiplication, which could significantly increase yields. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a feasible system for in vitro multiplication of camu-camu using somatic embryogenesis. Different concentrations of a cytokinin and an auxin in two different media were evaluated. Embryogenic callus was induced from leaf and stem explants on either Murashige and Skoog (MS) or Woody Plant Media (WPM) medium, supplemented with various concentrations of 2,4-dichorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) (0, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 mg·L-1) along with Benzylaminopurine (BAP) (0, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg·L-1). Preliminary results showed induction of embryogenic tissues on WPM medium with higher concentrations of 2,4-D and BAP, and using stem segments as the source of explants.